Are you a gambler? If you're willing to bet on Mother Nature, you can get a third night free from a long list of participating inns and hotels in and around the Fort Lauderdale area from March 1 through May 1, 2003. The catch? To get the free night, the mercury has to go below 70°F on at least one day during your minimum three-night stay. Of course, the house is always going to make the odds work in their favor. The temperature dipped below 70° only twice during the same period last year.
The "Guaranteed Warmth" promotion is sponsored by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau and involves over 60 area accommodations. Even if you don't get your third night free of charge, you can still plan an affordable trip because so many of the hotels are budget priced to begin with. The Bermudian & Tropical Waterfront Motel and Apartments is the cheapest with a standard room starting at a low $30 a night. The most expensive is the Embassy Suites at Deerfield Beach, which starts at $229 a night, but that is truly the exception. Most rooms can be had for well under $100 an evening.
For a list of participating hotels, plus monthly calendar of events and suggestions for what to see and do, visit the GFLCVB Web site at www.sunny.org, or call 800/22-SUNNY. Click on "Guaranteed Warmth" to see the hotel listings.
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